The Royal Australian Navy's MH-60 Romeo are a familiar sight in the Shoalhaven - and local MPs say they will bring up to 48 new jobs to the region.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Minister for Jobs and Investment, Stuart Ayres, South Coast MP Shelley Hancock and Kiama MP Gareth Ward toured Sikorsky's purpose-built helicopter facility at Yerriyong on Wednesday, August 12.
The Lockheed Martin Australia company has been awarded a $276 million five-year contract to maintain the Navy's 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, or "submarine hunters". Sikorsky is owned by the Lockheed Martin Australia company.
Mr Ayres said it was an opportunity to reskill workers from the civil aerospace sector affected by the COVID-19 downturn.
Ms Hancock said the employment and training opportunities were "immense".
"It's fantastic to see theses things come to fruition after talking about them fro almost a decade," she said.
Mr Ward said the Aviation Technology Park provides long-term, stable jobs.
"It's wonderful to see younger people getting involved in the defence industry," he said.
Scott Thomson, deputy country executive for Lockheed Martin Australia, said there were now ten trainees or apprentices in the local facility.